Browse Items (23 total)

Interview Summary
Jessica’s mother is from Benin and her father is from Ghana. Her parents came to the United States to give Jessica a better opportunity and worked various small jobs to supplement their income. Jessica says that her family is…

Vera is from Guerrero, Mexico and has resided in the United States for around 15 years. She has one son in the U.S. and one son in Mexico. Her mother is from an indigenous community in Mexico.

Valentina lives in the Kansas area; her father is from Bolivia and her mother is from Mexico. As a young student, she often confronted racism and sexism. Valentina later realized that she was an intelligent individual during her time as an…

Sylvia works as a school psychologist and is originally from Chihuahua, Mexico. Her interest in furthering her education led her to Fort Hays State University where she obtained her Bachelor's degree. Shortly after, she continued onto the Masters…

Silvia grew up in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Her passion for social justice was sparked by her own experience in Guatemala where she saw disrimination against the indigenous population. After deciding to continue her academic journey, she was offered…

Rosina grew up in San Salvador, El Salvador and received a Fulbright Scholarship which led her to study Journalism at the University of Kansas. Today, she teaches several Spanish classes including the new Spanish for Heritage Speakers class. She has…

Rosie is from Chihuahua, Mexico. She first learned English while teaching Spanish to students. She says that the Olathe, Kansas community is friendly. Rosie is active in several local organizations after she found out that she could be a voice for…

Maria is a detective within the Domestic Violence/ Sex Crimes unit of the Wichita Police Department. She came to the United States as a young child and attended elementary through college within Kansas. In this interview, Maria reflects on her…

Luis came to Kansas from Santiago de Veraguas, Panama. Due to limited opportunities in Panama, he arrived in Kansas to pursue a Masters degree at Emporia State University. However, things were not always so positive: when he first arrived at the…

Lourdes is a filmmaker based in New York. She is bilingual due to her mother’s efforts to teach Lourdes as well as her younger brother and sister Spanish. She reflects on being Latina in Kansas and how several individuals have had difficulties…